Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation

Animals, Agriculture & Food
Animals Agriculture Food
Ringworm Fungal Strain for Infection Studies
WARF: P140194US01

Inventors: Douglas DeBoer, Karen Moriello

The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) is seeking commercial partners interested in UW-8, a strongly fluorescent strain of Microsporum canis used for experimental infection studies in mammals.
Overview
Microsporum canis is a skin fungal pathogen that causes dermatophytosis (ringworm) most commonly in cats and dogs. Dermatophytosis clinical trials are lengthy and complicated because the nature of the infection can vary. The development of new control measures is greatly facilitated by experimental infection models, in which infections are established and studied in a controlled process.
The Invention
UW–Madison researchers have established that a strain of M. canis, called UW-8, is particularly useful in experimental infection studies. The strain produces a uniquely bright and consistent fluorescence that makes ringworm lesions much easier to identify and measure.

The researchers have used UW-8 for infection studies since 1993, and the attributes of the strain are supported by a body of peer-reviewed literature. UW-8 was selected from natural field strains and can be cultured readily.
Applications
  • Experimental infection studies of dermatophytosis
Key Benefits
  • Reproducible and easy to measure infection model
  • In use for more than two decades
Stage of Development
The UW-8 strain has been used since 1993 in multiple published experimental infection studies and studies to determine the efficacy of antifungal treatments.
Publications
  • DeBoer D.J. and Moriello K.A. 1994. Development of an Experimental Model of Microsporum Canis Infection in Cats. Vet Microbiol. 42, 289-295.
For current licensing status, please contact Jennifer Gottwald at [javascript protected email address] or 608-960-9854

WARF